A Test of Faith
by NoelleWynters
Summary: Anastasia was fairly certain Cyrus was the one person, other than Alice, who could pass a test that required a pure heart. So why did he fall?


_Standard disclaimer applies: I own nothing, this is all for fun._

_This comes after **The Best Laid Plans**._

Cyrus knew things changed over time, he'd witnessed it himself. He had no control as to where his bottle went or who came into possession of his will, but there had been times he'd returned to a place he'd been before to find it changed.

He really didn't think that applied this time though, he'd only been held captive by Jafar and the Red Queen for a little over a year but there was no chance the Outlands had changed so drastically.

"Where have you brought me?" he inquired, glancing at the huge chasm before him. The fact the Red Queen, or rather Anastasia, was keeping his wrists bound still did give him cause for concern. He had a rather bad track record when it involved cliffs when in her company.

Anastasia sauntered up beside him, an amused grin lighting up her face. "It is called the Great Divide darling; I would have thought you'd heard of it during your time with Alice."

He let his gaze sweep over the large abyss before him again, vaguely remembering tales of this place. Alice had mentioned it once in passing, and they'd both decided it was one spot neither of them longed to visit. There was darkness there, and they had no real desire to find out if what they'd heard about it was true.

Well, so much for that.

He hated how most of the time he really didn't get much of a choice in anything, and he considered running again but he had promised to behave. As well, Anastasia had unbound his ankles, obviously extending some trust towards him, running would just anger her.

And he was beginning to feel that he could trust her, so there had to be a reason she'd brought him to this place, although he could not fathom why. He thought they were going to find Alice and the Outlands were the surest bet on where to find her.

"I have heard of this place, and they say there is a great darkness that lurks here," he told her, ignoring the smirk on her face.

He knew she was fighting back a snippy retort, although he rather hoped she'd say it to lighten the mood as he had a sinking suspicion this place would bode ill for them both on some level.

* * *

If anyone else had made that remark about darkness she might have pointed out there is darkness everywhere when there is no daylight, but let it go. She knew he was talking about magic, she could sense it as well. But she needed that magic dust and she was well aware there was no chance she could get it.

Cyrus on the other hand, he stood a better chance. She'd tried to convince Alice to accompany her to the Great Divide but the girl was smart. She didn't trust her, and Anastasia didn't blame her in the least. She knew she wouldn't trust anyone that would make her believe the love of her life was dead. Alice had seen the lie in her words, the girl knew the promise to take her to Cyrus was nothing more than a lie.

It was ironic when she promised Cyrus she'd take him to Alice, she actually was telling the truth.

Either way, the risk would have been lower if Alice had been the one to get the magic dust. She wouldn't be playing games with Jafar's ire if it had been Alice, but the girl had refused and taken off, swearing she'd find her own way to Cyrus and to break the spell the sorcerer had put over Will.

Anastasia wished her luck, but knew she didn't have a hope. And that was where Cyrus came in. Not only did he stand an even better chance than Alice, he didn't seem to have any issues with walking, jumping or falling over cliffs.

"Well yes, there is dark magic almost anywhere you look, if you look hard enough. But there is a magic dust here that has great power and I need it," she explained, coming up beside him but staying just far enough away he couldn't try to knock her over the edge.

She was certain he wouldn't, but didn't want to test the theory.

"Why don't you retrieve it yourself? What do you need me for?" he asked, his tone one of complete confusion.

She moved slightly to the right, using the toe of her shoe to push some leaves aside from the plaque in the stone. She could hear him walk over to read the words inscribed in the stone. "The pure of heart shall make the leap," he recited softly.

"Yes, and if you don't have the purest heart I've ever seen I don't know who does," she stated, glancing sideways to look at him.

He was obviously thinking, trying to figure out the riddle in the words. To her it didn't make a whole lot of sense, no matter how pure your heart was there was no way to leap from one side to the other. Even Cyrus couldn't pull that off, despite his perchance for doing insanely stupid things.

She grinned slightly, if they did survive all this and get out of Wonderland she would certainly never let him live that jump off the floating island down. That was if he continued to speak to her. She was running out of friends, but she was trying her best to right what she'd done wrong, in her own way.

"Well, have you figured it out?" she asked, feeling a little impatient. They really didn't have time to stand around; there was no telling when Jafar would return and what he had planned for Alice.

Or what he'd do to either of them as well. It wouldn't be pretty, no matter how you looked at it.

"Give me a moment," Cyrus insisted, distraction in his voice. There was more than just the literal to this.

Anastasia paced, this was infuriating. Of all the people she could think of, she would have thought someone who had lived as long as Cyrus would be able to figure it out. He should be quite wise. "We don't have time! When Jafar returns and notices you're missing there will be a high price to pay. I don't know about you, but I'm not willing to pay it!"

She felt herself about to have a panic attack, something very unsightly for one of her position, but the idea of what Jafar could do to her certainly didn't help. She found it odd she was actually concerned at what the sorcerer would do to the genie, now that he would be able to acquire the bottle from her as well.

* * *

Cyrus looked up from the plaque and over to Anastasia, who he was pretty sure was mirroring how he looked when she produced his bottle earlier. Evidently this hadn't been the most well thought out plan.

"It isn't a literal leap, but more a leap of faith in something. Someone of pure heart's faith will help to carry them across the chasm to the other side," he told her, smiling warmly when he saw the panic leave her blue eyes.

"Is that all? Well then, you've got more than enough faith in love it should take you there and back several times darling," she quipped.

"You honestly think I'm going to test this theory out for you?" he inquired, quite shocked she assumed he'd just take a little jaunt across nothing more than thin air.

She grinned, placing a hand on her hip. "Honestly darling, out of the two of us here you're the one pure of heart, not me."

Cyrus looked back towards the gap between the cliffs, highly doubting he was that pure of heart. If she knew of his life before being cursed to that of a genie she wouldn't have such faith in him.

But maybe this would prove to be his test, had he repented enough to be able to take this leap?

* * *

Maybe she should unbind his wrists, but then again, he didn't really need them for walking. She trusted him, but she didn't trust him enough to give him complete freedom of movement.

After they got the magic dust, then maybe she would remove the vines that kept his wrists secured together. But she doubted it, so long as he didn't have complete movement she didn't have to worry about him taking off again.

She heard him exhale, and slowly move towards the gap. She wasn't sure who was more nervous, if he failed this there was going to be hell to pay. She had to get that dust to take the spell off Will, they had to find Alice and it was imperative they got out of Wonderland. All the yelling and fighting could wait until afterwards, as she could be assured both Will and Alice would have words for her.

There was also the small issue if Cyrus fell she'd have to figure out a way to get him back out. He was quite durable and would most certainly survive.

A slight giggle escaped her lips as he took a step, and didn't fall. She watched with trepidation as he took another, and yet another.

Anastasia couldn't help the excited little bounce as Cyrus slowly made his way across the open gulf, and she returned his elated smile when he glanced over his shoulder to look back at her. He was going to make it, and before long she would have the magic dust in her hands.

And then he fell.

She dashed over to the edge and watched him vanish into the inky black below, her eyes wide with disbelief.

What horrid transgressions could one do locked away in a bottle?

* * *

Cyrus groaned as he hit the ground, this was becoming a rather tiresome habit lately. He was still aching from his last fall, he really didn't need this.

Slowly he sat up and glanced around as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. All he could make out was dirt and rocks; there was nothing else, well, other than the remains of a few other souls foolish enough to think they were pure enough of heart to make it across.

He did notice the vines were gone from his wrists, he didn't know how and he didn't care, he was just glad they were gone. He pushed himself up off the ground and began to walk about, searching for a way back out. He didn't want to spend all eternity trapped at the bottom of a chasm, or wait to see how long it would take Jafar to figure out he was there.

"Cyrus," an eerie voice behind him called, just the tone of it made his skin crawl.

He turned, searching for the origin of the voice but found nothing. "Who are you? Show yourself," he demanded, far from being in the mood to play games. He was sore, tired and feeling a bit defeated. Evidently centuries in that bottle hadn't been enough punishment for his selfish ways. He had no idea what else he could ever do to prove he'd changed, not that it really mattered. His punishment was permanent.

Cyrus jumped slightly when a little girl came out from behind a rock. Her hair was a matted mess, dark circles encompassed her blue eyes and she wore a little blue dress with a white apron. She reminded him a lot of Alice, only younger and if she had been a child who didn't care for appearances.

"Hello Cyrus," little Alice said, smiling slightly. It wasn't the friendliest of smiles, he really wasn't sure this little girl could be trusted but then if she was the way back out he'd have to put some faith in her. "I see you have figured out who I am."

He nodded; it wasn't much of a leap to figure that out. "You're Alice, as a little girl," he stated, and she nodded to confirm. "What do you want with me?"

This time when she looked at him she smiled fully, and it wasn't what he'd call a pleasant sight. "Aren't we a scared little genie? But you weren't always a genie were you? At one time you were a selfish boy who took whatever he wanted when he wanted, and didn't give a care about anyone but himself," she asserted, walking towards him with her hands clasped behind her back.

"I was, many, many lifetimes ago. But that is in the past, I've changed," he conceded, wondering how she knew all this. Most who found him assumed he was a genie and nothing more, even Alice thought that way of him and he was fine letting it stay as such.

A strange little cackle escaped the child's lips. "I'm magic, I know everything. I took the form of someone you might trust, as I know you'd never trust your younger self. You knew him well, as you were him, and he was not one to be trusted now was he?"

Well, she certainly had him there. If a child version of himself was standing before him he most certainly wouldn't believe one word said. "But you don't want this magic dust for yourself, you don't want to see if its power can free you from the bonds of your bottle," she interjected, pulling him out of his thoughts.

He shook his head; that had never even crossed his mind. There was no way to be free, he'd been wished free before only to end up back in his bottle. That still didn't explain why he was down here, Anastasia had refused to try as she knew there was no chance she'd make it across. He knew he hadn't been pure of heart at one time, but had he not paid?

Suddenly the little girl was taking the most epic hissy fit he'd ever seen, and for reasons he couldn't even comprehend. "What are you doing?" he cried out, taking a few steps back as some of the rocks surrounding where they stood began to crumble.

Little Alice grinned wickedly as she stomped her foot again, causing more tiny pieces of stone to fall around them. "Let's see if you really have changed, shall we?"

* * *

The first option was leaving Cyrus down there and just grabbing the White Rabbit to get out of Wonderland and fast. Jafar would find the genie, the bottle and Alice of course, and do whatever his wicked plan was, but at least she'd be safe.

She was about to follow through as well, but a small part of her couldn't do it. She cursed that wide eyed girl inside her too, how dare she decide to make herself known at that moment. Right when she should be more worried about saving herself, now she was standing at the edge trying to discern a way to get Cyrus out.

And so far as she could tell, there wasn't one.

Right when she was about to tell herself there was no way to get to him, the ground she stood on began to shake. A second later she felt herself pitched forward and began to fall.

* * *

Cyrus watched as Anastasia fell in a heap a few feet away from him, and quickly righted herself. She looked around, starting slightly at the sight of the dishevelled little girl smirking at her. "Who's your little friend Cyrus?" she inquired, taking a step towards the genie.

She had her moments on this journey she wondered if he'd turn on her, but right then she'd take him over the demonic looking child before her.

Little Alice looked from the Red Queen to Cyrus, her wicked smile intensifying. "You've been good Cyrus, no matter what you did in the past you've been good and more than paid for every transgression haven't you? And no matter how good you are, you'll always be paying for your past, won't you? Why did you have to be separated from the first person to love you and see you as a person after centuries of being treated like nothing more than possession? What right did this queen have to destroy your happiness?"

Cyrus glanced over to Anastasia, noting she was looking a little nervous. He would be too, if he were in her place. He'd been there before, it really isn't a pleasant feeling having every horrible thing you'd done set out before you in words.

"And what exactly am I to do about all of it? What is in the past is past, you can't change it. Not even with wishes," he asserted, trying to figure out where exactly all of this was going.

Just when they both thought the little girl couldn't make her grin look any more depraved, they were proven wrong. Her smile grew and an evil twinkle entered her blue eyes as she placed both hands on her hips as she answered him in a sing song voice.

"You can kill her."

* * *

A laugh died in her throat, surely the child was kidding. Children jested about many things all the time, didn't they? No child, even this demonic looking little hellion, would suggest to another person they should murder someone. Even if the person was actually a genie, he wouldn't actually kill her, would he?

Her gaze snapped over to Cyrus who was completely unreadable. She hated that quality in him, always had. It was bad enough he'd managed to play both her and Jafar for fools trying to force Alice into her first wish, now she couldn't be sure if he was actually contemplating her death. Goodness knows he had the weapons needed.

She really should have taken his swords from him, now that she thought about it. Or she never should have returned them, but that was all in a show of good faith.

All the good that was doing her now.

It didn't help the little brat wouldn't shut up either. "She stole you from Alice, handed you over to the one person you'd been trying to evade for years, all through luck and the goodness of your masters. She kept you locked in a cage that was toxic to you and taunted you with all the awful things her and that sorcerer would do to Alice. She more than deserves to pay for it all, she deserves to die for taking away everything you held dear. She didn't care what happened to you with that spell, she only cared about herself, and there was no thought to you."

Anastasia bit her bottom lip, well that was a good solid argument for why she should die. She couldn't really refute any of it, not that she was about to attempt to try.

She watched as Cyrus' hand went to the hilt of his long sword, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She swore he was pure of heart, why did he fail this test? Why did he fall? And what was that little demon babbling on about when she kept referring to what he'd done in the past. He was a bloody genie, what sort of trouble could he get into?

* * *

Cyrus clutched the hilt of his sword, and turned to look at Anastasia. The little girl was right; the Red Queen certainly was not innocent in any of the charges laid against her. She wanted for nothing, she had everything she could ever desire and yet she wanted more, and she couldn't care less who she stepped on to get it.

He knew full well why he'd been cursed to the life of a genie for all eternity, but what had he done to deserve to have Alice torn from him? Wasn't he paying for all his past misdeeds enough? He was only going to be given a short time with Alice; it wasn't fair that someone like the Red Queen had to ruin it for either of them.

"She is right," he whispered, slowly unsheathing his sword.

Even when she raised her hands in a mock surrender, he didn't replace his weapon. "Okay, fine, yes I'm a selfish woman and yes I've done some horrid things but haven't we all? At different points in time aren't we all selfish, horrible people who only think about ourselves? No one is perfect Cyrus, not one person is completely pure of heart," she countered, desperation obvious in her voice.

"You still have to pay for all you've done," he stated, walking over to her. "We all end up paying in the end for every mistake, no matter how grievous it is. Why should only a few be reprimanded and the rest be allowed to revel in their wrong doings without any punishment?"

Cyrus could tell she had no argument for that. He knew she wouldn't, he'd been asked the same centuries ago and even he had no answer. Not that it mattered now, like he'd said to the little girl; you can't change the past.

"So, you're going to kill me?" Anastasia whispered, closing her eyes. She knew she'd been playing with fire, but she'd assumed it was with Jafar, not Cyrus.

Cyrus swung his sword, and let it fall to the ground before Anastasia's feet. "No, I'm going to forgive you," he answered, smiling when she finally opened her eyes.

"Excuse me, you're going to what?" she stammered, evidently in shock at his words.

Cyrus walked over to her, and placed his hands on her trembling shoulders. "I forgive you, we all deserve to be forgiven if we truly wish to correct our mistakes and make amends. One day you will pay for your wrongs, but not today. I was reluctant to admit my mistakes in the past and will pay for eternity. If you truly wish to change your ways, then you deserve to have someone forgive you and believe in you."

* * *

Anastasia could hardly believe what she was hearing, someone was actually saying they forgave her for all the horrible things she'd done to them. Maybe she was still being selfish, she honestly thought reuniting Cyrus with Alice would show Will she was a good person still and he'd take her back on the spot. No questions asked or explanations of past wrongs needed. She originally was only thinking of herself, and not of the people involved.

She shouldn't be trying to correct her mistakes for her own glory; she should be doing it because she knew what she'd done was wrong. As much as she wanted to change the past and go back to when Will still loved her she was beginning to realize the cost wasn't worth it.

If the spell had been accomplished, there was no telling if they'd just be doomed to make the same mistakes in different ways, and be torn apart again. If Jafar had succeeded in that spell she would have most likely lost the only friend she had at that very moment.

Even if he did annoy her to extremes at times with his sugar sweet sentiments.

* * *

"Congratulations, you've passed the test Cyrus."

The genie turned to look at the little girl, surprise written on his face. "But she still lives."

Little Alice turned and walked out of sight, only to re-emerge looking more like the Alice the Red Queen remembered from years ago. She smiled brightly at Cyrus, holding out her hand. "You are pure of heart, if you weren't you would not have hesitated to kill her."

"But he fell; did you miss that part darling? He fell like a bloody rock like he seems to always do around cliffs," Anastasia blurted out, thoroughly lost on what all this meant. "He took a leap of faith and he bloody well fell."

Little Alice looked up at the Red Queen with an amused twinkle in her eyes. "Faith is not easy, everyone will stumble and they will fall. They will lose themselves in darkness and require someone who understands what it is like to be trapped in those shadows to lead them back towards light. To take a leap of faith is to take the risk you shall fall, but you must pick yourself back up and keep moving forward with the faith someone will always be there for you when you need them. Everyone falls, but those before did not have a heart pure enough to pass the test; Cyrus is the first I've seen who did."

The little girl then turned to Cyrus, and asked him to take her hand. He reached out and grasped it, as she slowly vanished into a burst of sparkling white dust.

Anastasia let out a rather undignified shriek of glee as she knelt down to gather up the magic dust, producing a little cloth pouch from a pocket inside her riding cloak.

"What do you need this for anyway?" Cyrus inquired as he knelt down across from her to help gather up the magic dust.

"I'll tell you on the way darling," she told him, pouring the dust in the cloth pouch as her eyes twinkled with glee. Soon she'd have Will back to normal, and he could help them locate Alice.

Cyrus looked at her suspiciously. "You told me we were going to Alice."

"We are! One stop first," she moaned, getting a little tired of the same song and dance about his young woman.

"And then Alice?" he insisted as he poured the last of the magic dust in the pouch.

Anastasia looked at him and rolled her eyes. "Yes darling. You two are absolutely infuriating with your one minded need to be in each other's company."

He ducked his head shyly, mumbling an apology in the process making Anastasia laugh. "It is annoying, but rather sweet as well. And thank you for your help acquiring the magic dust."

Cyrus grinned brightly as they walked around to find a way back up and out of the chasm. "You're welcome, but for the rest of this trip could we please avoid cliffs?"

_AN: In case anyone wonders what on earth is going on with this backstory with Cyrus, there is a spoiler for his backstory online now. Basically, Cyrus was a greedy and selfish person before being turned into a genie, which evidently set him straight. I'll admit, that rather annoyed me they went the cliche (won't repeat what exactly I said), but I suppose it does give his character more depth in a way. So long as they give a reason to why he was like that (came from a family of privilege, was a spoiled child, etc). Oh well, he'll still be my favourite on the show regardless. I'd say he's more than paid, in spades, for past transgressions._

_There could be more little one shots along the lines of these, seeing as they're kind of changing the way the season has gone thus far. I can't say when, or make promises it will be soon as I have other stories on the go, but I like exploring them as friends so I imagine I'll write more one shots at some point._


End file.
